The Guardian is reporting that a crucial piece of the Deepwater Horizon’s safety equipment was overhauled in China to save money.  It subsequently failed to activate and is suspected of having caused the disaster:

BP ordered the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig, whose explosion led to the worst environmental disaster in US history, to overhaul a crucial piece of the rig's safety equipment in China, the Observer has learnt. The blow-out preventer – the last line of defence against an out-of-control well – subsequently failed to activate and is at the centre of investigations into what caused the disaster. Experts say that the practice of having such engineering work carried out in China, rather than the US, saves money and is common in the industry.

This is extremely disconcerting, and Congress and the Administration should examine the work performed in China. Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) Executive Director Scott Paul said, "If China can’t keep cadmium and lead out of children’s bracelets, it's hard to understand why BP would trust a Chinese firm to overhaul a key component in the Deepwater Horizon rig simply to 'save money.'  This is, after all, a life or death issue for oil rig workers."  Read more about BP's Deepwater equipment being overhauled in China. Read more about unsafe imports from China, including: tainted toothpaste, toxic toys, poisoned pet food, faulty tires, and unsafe medicine. Read more about faulty steel welds from China.